#s: the dark artifices

[celias]

Herondale family, The Shadowhunter Chronicles

“Every student, Shadowhunter and mundane alike, knew the name Herondale. It was Jace’s last name. It was the name of heroes.”

[wikitpowers]

kit sketches but he gets older as they go on :(

this is making me so close to sobbing

art: @cassandrajean

[cabeswaterdrowned]

Mark and Julian’s relationship makes me so insane the first time I read the books I don’t remember feeling that way about it? I think I payed most attention to Ty&Livvy + Ty&Jules + Livvy&Jules out of the dynamics so those stuck out most in my memory there are also shifts in what’s focused on most in LM vs Qoaad so that’s part of it but like… Mark and Julian is so funny and compelling to me because they do not understand each other at all! No scene encompasses how much Mark does not get Julian like the scene post whipping where Jules goes on that speal about how he wouldn’t want to live if Emma died and knows it’s not healthy but he might do what Malcolm did for Annabel if she did did and Mark is like “no my baby brother you are too good a person you would never ever do something like that ik you don’t mean any of it” had me in stitches ajdjdj as a reader who’s been in Jules’ head and knows that yes, he absolutely did mean all of that (codependent king love him for that <3). And then in LoS there’s a scene where Mark is tasked with watching the kids and minor things go wrong (well I mean someone does get injured. But for Shadowhunters that is still p minor) so he’s like “oh my god Julian would Never have let things go wrong like this he would know exactly what to do” bestie no… he wouldn’t have known better he would have just faked it till he made it and never let anyone know he was struggling to begin with lolz. That’s not even getting into the Emma thing which is just a whole cycle of them projecting their own feelings onto the other person Mark assuming Julian loves her platonically because he does and Julian assuming Mark’s would be in love with her because that’s normal existence to him usually I don’t care for set ups like that but this one is fun somehow.. and that scene after Emma and Jules argued and then fucked in that cottage so Jules comes back in a good mood and notices that Mark is constantly on edge around him because he’s accidentally been so snippy/cunty to him since the fake dating started and he’s like “oh have I been that bad?” And then tells Mark he’ll be cool now because he knows they weren’t really together Andjjd. also they’re both sooo bad at being teenage boys in completely different ways so the juxtaposition of their traumas is fun “I don’t understand how to be a teenage boy because I’ve been raised to be a “feral” (only using the word because they use it to describe Mark so many times in the books) creature and feel trapped by being among humans” vs “I don’t understand how to deal with teenage boy emotions or think through that aspect of life so I repress all of them while clinging to my responsible adult mask + using my political strategist wiles to get through life”. Idk why but I just really like their whole thing…

[garvalhaminho]

the carstairs family when the buselevators family walks in:

[poetpony6890]

Star filled nights - A Kitty fic

—————————————————————————

After having kissed the man who he had been pining over for the last five years, Kit sprinted away violently. At least this time he hadn’t escaped to the other side of the globe.

Yet he kept his word and of course later made his entrance into the grand hall of the french manor, dressed clad in the masquerade attire.

Catching a glimpse of himself in the hall mirror as he strode in, Kit checked himself out, his pressed gold and ocean suit patterned with swans floating around in a hue of waves. With a matching masquerade over his light eyes.

As his father had taught him to do well finding someone in a crowd, he stayed as far away from people has possibly without looking suspicious, so as a young woman carrying a circle tray filled with bubbling champagne passed by he grabbed one.

Then filtered his way to the stairs of the overlooking balcony to watch the titled ball room below, where danced many, fae with long draping gowns swirling around them as their partners spun them, vampires with sharpened fangs playfully snapping at the werewolves on the other side of the room.

One suit stood out to Kit, the one he had help picked out, crimson and ebony details weaved through the crowd, slowly Kit made his way down the stairs. Watching as the suit made its way towards the longer table filled with treats, before he could cross the floor, a hand clapped onto his back.

“Rook! What are you doing here?!” A voice asked, Kit turned around to see one of his life long complains, Lyall wearing an ivory suit with a polar bear mask.

From behind him a matching brown bear stuck to the other side of him.

“Kit! How are you, man!” Steven called, brining Kit into a tight but quick hug.

“I’m good, guys. A bit busy-“

“So you taking over your dad business is what I’ve been hearing?” Lyall asked, wrapping his arm around him and brining him out towards the main hall of the building.

“No- no I’m done with that.” Kit stated, as they brought him into a darkened room, covered him soft velvet curtains, a metal pole in the middle, lamp lights illuminated the curved body of the woman wearing a raven mask, lace covering slight parts of her.

“Have a seat.” Steven told, stretching his hand out towards the love seat facing a silk mat with various pillows in the other side of the room.

“So, what have you been up to lately? We haven’t seen you in forever.” Lyall asked, sitting down beside him, as a few of the girls on the other side watched intently.

“Uh- good.” Kit replied, as Steven’s arm came down beside him and placed a drink into his hand.

“Like what you see?” The girl asked, as Kit kept his eyes glued to her, she swung one of her long legs in a semicircle.

“Uh- maybe.” Kit stalled slowly as Steven sat down beside him with a matching drink.

“So, what brings you here tonight?” Lyall asked, as if on cue the door the room opened and in came a crimson lion lace mask, the one he had picked out mere hours ago.

“Hello? Rook you there?” Steven asked, tapping his shoulder lightly.

“Yeah, yeah, just having some fun.” Kit replied casually, taking a sip from his glass.

“That’s what I like to hear!” Lyall exclaimed, Kit watched as Ty sat down next to someone he apparently knew, followed by an olive skinned fox in a three piece suit and leather boats.

“We should go do those shots with Eiron later, said he had some faerie kush or something! Might want to get to that before he meets some vamp girl.” Steven whispered, from the other side of the room, Ty bend his head down as the girl next to him said something.

“Hey, baby we’re bouncing.” Lyall called out to the woman wrapping herself around, she waved with one of her hands.

As all three of them walked out, Kit glared back at Ty, eyes wider than the moon in the sky.

As they approached the seating area near the balcony, Lyall and Steven both sat down as Kit stood up, as Elion saw him, dressed as an elephant, he jumped up and hugged him.

“Kit! I haven’t seen you in so long!” He rushed, making sure not to burn him with the cigarette he had lit in his right hand.

“Hey, what’s up?” Kit asked, sitting down beside him on the flannel couch.

“ Same old, I can finally work now! Me and my Dad got this stall set up and we sell-“

What stopped him from going on was a collection of much more expensive looking suits, from the end of the couch, Steven shifted in his seat to conceal his waistband, which held a gun with a hidden flashlight attachment.

“Howdy officers.” Steven started.

“Shut up Steven.” Lyall ordered, waving them both along, once again, Kit was enchanted by a pair of stony eyes, awesome cheekbones and slightly smug expression.

“Run along now, I know I have my rights.” Eiron declared, from the arm rest a fellow fae know as Odhran laughed, dressed a an English bulldog.

Both of the men walked away, going towards the out stretching balcony lit by the flame of the stars.

“I’ll-“ Kit started, standing for a moment only to be pulled back down by Lyall.

“Don’t go picking sides now, Rook.”He dropped a tone, placing his hand on his hip to reveal a glock.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Kit stated, even if he had his own gun concealed by the huge tail on his waist, he knew that Lyall would be almost a hundreds percent more likely to use it.

So this is how Kit found himself still on the couch thirty minutes later, many shots with Lyall and Steven, a joint slips with Eiron and a dance with Odhran which Eiron tried to help from afar but was covered but the sound of Lyall and Steven laughing.

Finally, he was out on the balcony sharing a seelie cigar with Eiron.

“ I can’t believe you actually said that to him.”

He giggled, Kit tuned out the rest of what he was saying as he spotted Ty, whispering again to the fox.

Upon finally having chance to speak to him, Kit began to approach.

“Oh- ok then.” Eiron stoped, moving alongside his companion.

“Hey, Ty.” Kit greeted, as Eiron eyed down the two, spending a bit more time admiring the detail in the foxes suit.

“I am Eiron, pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He greeted, holding out his hand for the fox suit to hold, put he only shook it lightly.

He was really intended that he kiss it, and he had just embarseed him self, but neither Kit or Ty paid mind to them.

“ I’m really sorry if I made things weird between us or if I confused you in some way, I didn’t mean to, and if you don’t like boys or you don’t like me-“

He was cut off by a pair of soft lips meeting his own, gently Ty wrapped his arm around Kits neck, as his hands made their way into his scalp, fingers touching each strand.

“Care to dance?” Eiron asked, interlacing his hand with the other man’s before he got an answer.

When Kit and Ty finally got off of each other, Ty leaned on the edge of the balcony.

“So, did you find out anything on our missing werewolf?” Ty asked, looking into his glowing eyes.

“He’s Steven’s stepmothers brother. From what I hear he has been missing almost three months. Before he died some vampires saw him leaving the bar with an unseelie fae, no one believed them.” Kit whispered.

“ You smell like cinnamon.” Ty commented.

“ yeah that’s the weed.” Kit replied causally.

“What!?” Ty asked, a bit shocked but not totally surprised.

“I love you?”Kit wondered.

“You’re so confusing.” Ty stopped.

“ I get that a lot.” Kit muttered.

“Will you still help me?” Ty whispered

“Of course I will. I’d help you if it was the last thing I do. I’d let a zombie eat my brains for you but you have to promise you’ll shoot me before I start eating other people. Maybe cry on my grave.” Kit stated jokingly.

“I can do that.” Ty replied seriously.

“Good we’re all set.” Kit added.

“Not so fast. One of you, not going to say which one, is meant to be in rehab. In London.” An older voice called out from the French glass doors.

“You’ve been in rehab?”Ty questioned,Kit slowly turned around and faced his new current enemies, a calico cat and a grey gemstone city rat.

“ It’s a long story.” Kit tried to explain but it he grown too tired of the same fake excuses.

“Come on man, busting out of rehab is just lame. What do you have to do all day? Colour?” An angry tone voiced, coming beside Simon dressed as a zebra, smoking a lit Paul mall.

“Oh really your gonna talk Jacob?” Kit sassed.

“YES I AM!” Jacob shouted loudly.

“Come on, Kit. Party’s almost over anyways, the dogs gone missing.” Magnus called, holding out his arm for Kit to link with as Simon waved Ty to follow and Jacob gave the rest of the cigarette to a known vampire friend of his.

“Why is it always the animals?” Kit asked, most times if a party wrapped up steadily, something had gone missing and no one wanted to take the blame for it.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me this when I asked you to help me, Kit? Do you understand the position I’m in now?” Ty somewhat shouted as they got onto the sidewalk on the other side of the mansion.

“69?” Kit asked.

“Are you fucking kidding me!? Do you really think that’s funny?!” Ty exclaimed as Simon came to stand in front of him and Jacob rushed to avoid the leaving cars.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to know!” Kit screamed, as Magnus sighed and sat down on the grass of a nearby lawn.

“You should have fucking told me! Do you know what Jem and Tessa are going to think of me now?!” Ty screamed back, causing Jacob to try and get Kit as far away as possible.

“I don’t give a fuck what they think! They aren’t my fucking family and you know that as well as I do!” Kit kept barking, pushing Jacob off of him as he tried to lean him to walk.

“Yes they are! They take of you, they feed you, you have a room in their house!” Ty argued, as a the ground beneath a nearby car began to shake.

“I’ve never had any fucking family! My mother packed up and left and don’t you tell me it was for the better because I will forgive her for leaving me in that house with my dad! The only thing I’ve ever come close to is living with the Armas and that was because my fucking father was in jail!” Kit screamed, as the ground began to open under the car, causing Magnus to jump up and run towards the road.

The rat grabbed Ty and dragged him towards the road as well, followed by Jacob who pushed Kit, as the split widened enough for a few people to stop and come up to the scene as the car was swallowed.

“What’s going on?!” A gentle voice came, rushing towards Kit and placing her warmed hands onto his cheeks, from his confused state Kit locked into a pair of ebony eyes, covered by a soft gray mask painted and gemmed as an elephant.

The hole didn’t stop as Kit began to calm down, realizing the destruction was at his own hands.

From the movement of the surrounding area, a gray hound arose from the shadows, trying to jump around the hole but only gave out a final bark as the hole swallowed with Kits calm.

“I found the dog.” Jacob commented as Kits eyes swelled with sudden tears, Thea wrapped her matching silk scarf around both of them.

“Oh fuck we have to go! I was paid 50 fucking bucks to find that dog!” Basil yelled as both he and Kit began to sprint as a booming voice began to scream out.

The rest of the group quickly followed behind them, indulging now Anuish and Eiron who had come sometime around when the fight on the sidewalk began.

They all stopped as Kit plopped down on a street sign enough blocks away that they were sure the warlock would not run after them.

“ I killed that dog.” Kit sobbed, as Thea rubbed his back gently.

“I know this isn’t a good time but we really have to get you back to Jem and Tessa’s.” Magnus declared.

“It was just a dog.” Jacob commented, from behind Kit, Basil shook his gingerbread head.

“Where’s that shadowhunter?” Eiron asked, as both Ty and Anuish had disappeared during the run.

“I told them to leave.” Simon stated.

“WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!” Kit sobbed.

“Kind of my job,now but whatever.” Simon says.

“You’re clearly in no state to talk to him, Kit.” Jacob deadpanned.

“We both know we can’t send him back to that house.” Thea added towards Magnus.

“What we need to do is take this one step at a-“

“He killed a fucking dog! Without even looking at it, if that is not cause to be send to leave with other fea I do not know what is!” Eiron shouted, although he had unfortunately seen much worse in his many years, the thought of what he now knew disturbed him.

“Stand up.” Magnus ordered, pulling onto Lits sleeve.

“Where are we going?” Kit asked, wiping the stray tears from his face.

“London. Right now.” Magnus stated, opening a set portal for them to use on their journey.

—————————————————————————

Request by @tys-kitty !!

I made this way more angst than it had to be I’m sorry, they did kiss though! That’s more than we’re going to get until TLKOF comes out! (I actually am sorry though) (come out tlkof I need to see King Kieran)

Also this one might make more sense later if you feel me but im going to finish the first chapter of my kit fic which I’ve named ‘ sins of the father’! However school is kicking me in the ass right now but I’m trying!!

[jemsbitch]

What if Kit cannot look directly at Tessa’s eyes because they are the exact same shade as Ty’s?

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Book names + authors under the cut

Cristina Mendoza Rosales/Mark Blackthorn/Kieran Kingson- The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

Ancel/Berenger- Pet by C. S. Pacat

Teodora di Sangro/Cielo- The Brilliant Death/The Storm of Life by A. R. Capetta

Nina Zenik/Hanne Brum- King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

[wikitpowers]

WAIT WHAT THE HELL I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE IN MY LIFE WHAT THE HECK I WILL CRY NO NO NO THIS ASK MUST BE FROM YEARS AGO

Oh and what a slow burn with subtle build up it has indeed become (*cries*)

[fandom]

Books

In which the demigods and a conniving triangle knock the necromancers and their cavaliers from their celestial heights!

This list is brought to you by Tor Publishing Group (@torpublishinggroup), which you’re probably familiar with, given that this is tumblr dot com.

Percy Jackson +1 by Rick Riordan

The Book Of Bill by Alex Hirsch

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

The Locked Tomb series -3 by Tamsyn Muir

The All for the Game series +3 by Nora Sakavic

The Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

A Court of Thorns and Roses series +2 by Sarah J. Maas

Dracula -4 by Bram Stoker

The Trials of Apollo series +9 by Rick Riordan

The Odyssey +10 by Homer

Wings of Fire series +5 by Tui T. Sutherland

Six of Crows duology -9 by Leigh Bardugo

Discworld -5 by Terry Pratchett

The Silmarillion -4 by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice

Pride and Prejudice -5 by Jane Austen

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

The Raven Cycle series -5 by Maggie Stiefvater

Frankenstein -7 by Mary Shelley

The Iliad -1 by Homer

Stormlight Archive +2 by Brandon Sanderson

1984 +4 by George Orwell

The Folk of the Air series -2 by Holly Black

Romeo and Juliet +20 by William Shakespeare

The Simon Snow series -6 by Rainbow Rowell

The Secret History -9 by Donna Tartt

Captive Prince series +13 by C. S. Pacat

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Good Omens +20 by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

The Picture of Dorian Gray +18 by Oscar Wilde

The Sun and the Star -17 by Rick Riordan & Mark Oshiro

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

The Far Side +11 by Gary Larson

The Animorphs series -13 by K. A. Applegate

Throne of Glass series -4 by Sarah J. Maas

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series -3 by Rick Riordan

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde +8 by Robert Louis Stevenson

Mistborn -1 by Brandon Sanderson

Diary of a Wimpy Kid -16 by Jeff Kinney

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Song Of Achilles -13 by Madeline Miller

Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas

The Twilight Saga -3 by Stephenie Meyer

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare

The Bell Jar -12 by Sylvia Plath

The Wicked Powers series by Cassandra Clare

The Dark Artifices series by Cassandra Clare

The number in italics indicates how many spots a title moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded titles weren’t on the list last year.

So many books, so little time. Come find your online Community for all things books and reading. Right this way.

[animusrox]

TOP 10

Past Lives

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Poor Things

Oppenheimer

Barbie

BlackBerry

The Holdovers

The Iron Claw

Killers of the Flower Moon

MY LETTERBOXD Grade A 11.    The Killer 12.    Beau Is Afraid 13.    Dream Scenario 14.    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 15.    Godzilla Minus One 16.    American Fiction 17.    They Cloned Tyrone 18.     Evil Dead Rise 19.    Eileen 20.    The Artifice Girl 21.   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 22.    Talk to Me 23.    Reality 24.    Leave the World Behind 25.    A Thousand and One 26.    Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 27.    Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. 28.    Theater Camp 29.   Carmen 30.    Merry Little Batman 31.    Priscilla 32.    Society of the Snow 33.    Infinity Pool 34.    Enys Men 35.    Sanctuary 36.    Rye Lane 37.    Skinamarink 38.    Monster 39.    Anatomy of a Fall 40.    Landscape with Invisible Hand 41.    Reptile 42.    Sisu 43.    Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game 44.    No One Will Save You 45.    Tetris 46.    May December 47.    The Zone of Interest 48.    V/H/S/85 49.    Dumb Money 50.    El Conde 51.    Arnold 52.    Maestro 53.    Napoleon 54.    20 Days in Mariupol 55.    Influencer 56.    The Creator 57.    Origin 58.    Thanksgiving 59.    Next Goal Wins 60.    The Boy and the Heron 61.    Bottoms 62.    Wonka

[Press Keep Reading For The Full Graded List]

Grade B

63.   God Is a Bullet 64.    No Hard Feelings 65.    Joy Ride 66.    Fair Play 67.     Cocaine Bear 68.    NYAD 69.    Asteroid City 70.    Nowhere 71.    The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster 72.    Divinity 73.    The Equalizer 3 74.    The Last Voyage of the Demeter 75.    Venus 76.    Butcher’s Crossing 77.    Somewhere in Queens 78.    The Persian Version 79.    Boston Strangler 80.    Polite Society 81.    Miguel Wants to Fight 82.    The Color Purple 83.    The Royal Hotel 84.    Saw X 85.    All of Us Strangers 86.    Fallen Leaves 87.    Ferrari 88.    Elemental 89.    Peter Pan & Wendy 90.    Renfield 91.    Cat Person 92.    Scream VI 93.    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 94.    BS High 95.    Blue Beetle 96.    Huesera: The Bone Woman 97.    When Evil Lurks 98.    Dark Harvest 99.    A Good Person 100.    Final Cut 101.    Knock at the Cabin 102.    Quiz Lady 103.    Leo 104.    Air 105.    The Super Mario Bros. Movie 106.    Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham 107.    John Wick: Chapter 4 108.    Beaten to Death 109.    The Wrath of Becky 110.    Passages 111.    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts 112.    Gran Turismo 113.    65 114.    Sick 115.    Sister Death 116.    The Blackening 117.    Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain 118.    Flamin’ Hot 119.    Nimona 120.    Cobweb 121.    Totally Killer 122.    What’s Love Got to Do with It? 123.     Sharper 124.    Unseen 125.    Dunki 126.    Bird Box Barcelona 127.    The Marvels 128.    Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Grade C

129.   Wildflower 130.    Freelance 131.    M3GAN 132.    Strays 133.    Sympathy for the Devil 134.    Creed III 135.    Chevalier 136.    The Marsh King’s Daughter 137.    A Haunting in Venice 138.    The Little Mermaid 139.    Silent Night 140.    Master Gardener 141.    The Flash 142.    Fast X 143.    The Pope’s Exorcist 144.    Saltburn 145.    Kandahar 146.    Stand 147.    Plane 148.   Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 149.    Fingernails 150.    Quicksand 151.    Fool’s Paradise 152.    Migration 153.    Rustin 154.    The Covenant 155.    Good Burger 2 156.    The Pod Generation 157.    Alice, Darling 158.    Insidious: The Red Door 159.    Missing 160.    Shotgun Wedding 161.    You Hurt My Feelings 162.    The Boogeyman 163.    Showing Up 164.    Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 165.    Champions 166.    Consecration 167.    The Nun II 168.    Biosphere 169.    House Party 170.    The Exorcist: Believer 171.    Big George Foreman 172.    Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 173.    Children of the Corn 174.    The Beanie Bubble 175.    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Grade F

176.    Anyone But You 177.    Marlowe 178.    Paint 179.    Extraction 2 180.    It Lives Inside 181.    Deliver Us 182.    Trolls Band Together 183.    Finestkind 184.    Corner Office 185.    Wish 186.    Prisoner’s Daughter 187.    Pain Hustlers 188.    Foe 189.    The Mother 190.    Old Dads 191.    Ghosted 192.    Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken 193.    Haunted Mansion 194.    Mafia Mamma 195.    Five Nights at Freddy’s 196.    The Machine 197.    Justice League: Warworld 198.    We Have a Ghost 199.    What Comes Around 200.    Legion of Super-Heroes 201.    The Boys in the Boat 202.    Attachment 203.    Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre 204.    About My Father 205.    You People 206.    Meg 2: The Trench 207.    Pathaan 208.    Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire 209.    Assassin 210.    Dalíland 211.    Vacation Friends 2

Bottom 10

212.    Sound of Freedom 213.    Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 214.    When You Finish Saving The World 215.    Heart of Stone 216.    Family Switch 217.    Expend4bles 218.    Sweetwater 219.    Hypnotic 220.    80 for Brady 221.    Spinning Gold

[oblivionsdream]

If your fav isn't here then add it in the comments!

[celias]

Carstairs family, The Shadowhunter Chronicles

“You belong where you are loved.”

[wikitpowers]

I've yet to meet a sane KitTy Stan and I love that for us 💞

i’m actually convinced that atp every single kitty stan has actually lost their minds. like we’re all so fucking unhinged about a ship that isn't even canon yet and that doesn’t even have their own series. and can u imagine how much worse it will get after the twp come out???? oh yeah we're royally fucked, folks :')

[cabeswaterdrowned]

my criteria for this was the canon ones + any ships I have any awareness of being shipped or having been shipped at any point, and based on book content (although an shtv femslash poll could be an interesting comparison point so perhaps I’ll make that later)

@quantummeep @thevagabondexpress @chaosandtwo @helenofblackthorns

[lanafofana]

🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

Hehehehe

Xx

🎁 Have a piece of a WIP you want to share?

The answer to this will never be no 😘

“I don’t have any magic,” she said doubtfully.

Gale waves off her concern. “Think of it like plaiting a rope. I will provide the material to be wielded, you only need to move as I instruct you. Together we will twist the rope into being.”

So they arranged themselves side by side. He showed her the physical aspect of the incantation and felt his skin prickle under her solemn stare as her eyes flicked to each part of his body as it moved. She copied him, grim faced but her actions were exact and he felt the magic begin to catch.

He shared with her the words and gave her an encouraging smile when doubt and unease twisted out from her eyes like pale lanterns. She repeated them in her low velvet voice soft but firm around each unfamiliar syllable and despite himself he felt a rush of something in response to her tone.

The magic, he thought to himself dismissively, merely the manifestation of the Weave.

The final instruction was the most critical so he spoke as clearly as he could without artifice or poetry. Harmony, he stressed and did not know what to make of the face she gave him. Utter confusion.

“A childhood memory?” he tried but her lips drew thin and she looked suddenly much older than he supposed her to be.

“I think, wizard, even if I could pull a memory from that cask of oil you would see something far different than harmony.”

“Music then, surely a verse must linger in your memory from poetry or song. Some lyrics you find your mind repeating though no music plays?”

Her gaze is distant and a little sad. “I have none. But tell me wizard what is the point of the instruction? Give me something else or else this lesson will be for naught.”

Gale thinks long and hard and at last he admits, “The truth of it is that it is through harmony the subject could at last open themselves to the mother of magic, to bare yourself down to the core of yourself. Harmony is by the easiest. Not a rending of the soul entire but a jab, a peek, a key hole through which you surrender yourself, opening yourself to her.”

“Is that all,” mutters Tav, staring at the ground with a furrowed brow.

He’s ready to cease the lesson and retreat, ready to release his tenuous hold on the flimsy filaments of magic they have begun to call together from the aether when she places her hands to her breast as if to pray.

Her face is a rictus of concentration, jaw tight, shoulders nearly bowed. The silence between them stretches long and dark and he almost suggests an end to it. His mouth is open the words on his tongue the color of disappointment but acceptance. They curl against his teeth, ready for release. Some are not meant for the study or application of magic and it was perhaps a little foolish of him to cast aside her initial concerns so dismissively.

In the same breath he might have spoken, he feels it. The tendrils of weave snagging on the trembling wings of her spirit and fanning out like a blaze. The air around them is suddenly flooded with magic so potent it sings in his veins and sends his heart skipping like a fool in love.

“You did it,” he breathes.

She stares at the evidence of her success, a little awed a little dumbstruck, and a little afraid.

“How does it feel?”

The only time Gale has ever felt the tiniest bit of regret for being a wizard prodigy is when he sees others experience the Weave for the first time. There is not a memory in his head that is not tinged with the presence of it. What must if be like he wonders, drinking in the expression on her face, to never know a thing as big and as eternal as the Weave and suddenly come face to face with it.

Tav stares around at the magic in the air. There is no sense she possesses that could contain the words needed to express what she feels. It is more than sight or taste or touch or smell. It is something both heavy and light and it lingers against her skin, her mind, her heart. How does it feel? She would need an eon to quantify it and another eon to describe it with mortal words.

It was the first wedding bell ringing in spring. It was rich soil after a heavy rain, swollen with potential for new growth. It was the horror of a building hollowed out by fire. It was the sensation of standing under the eye of a goddess and being perceived for exactly what she was.

“It’s…a lot,” she finally says, finding more truth in those small humble words than any other description that flitters against her mind. “Too much to take in all at once. Light and air and a tingling that starts in the fingers and zips down to the toes. Art and poetry indeed.”

He smiles though, a handsome thing. Self assured, cocky, proud, blazing bright like a star and she feels the breath stutter out of her lungs.

They linger in the pocket of Weave for a moment or an age. When she turns to look at him a question dies on her tongue before it can be born as something unfolds in her mind’s eye. A sudden vision of Gale, of how she imagines his future when all this mess is sorted.

Humming happily to himself, walking down a street, on his chest— in place of the orb— his skin is blemish free. He calls out with a smile and wave and she sees herself turning to look. A smile on her own face. He holds out a hand and she reaches for it, the sun is high and hot and they are content.

It’s such a beautiful daydream she feels the corners of her mouth twitch in response but through the vision she sees his face beyond it. Surprised mostly, and she realizes she’s projecting her errant daydream between them. Before the vision of his hand can grasp hers the image dematerializes as cold dread seizes her heart and twists it like a dishrag, wringing sour embarrassment and shame where before there had only been the warmth of basking in his pride.

If she had known what thoughts trailed like branching streams through is mind she wouldn’t have worried half so much or at least not about the same things. Gale himself hardly knew except that his heart was aching as if split open and he felt both warm and hot for opposite reasons and they clamored for control in his breast and his brain.

It was a simple spell often done in an apprentice’s first year at Blackstaff. Something to give them a taste for the Weave if they were unfamiliar or better their focus if they were. Most students had the same vision on completion and their thoughts tumbled loud and braying into his before they had learned to contain them and ward off the eyes of others. Visions of success or homesickeness or which student they hoped was watching. The pride of being singled out by the professor for exceptional wizardry. The impatience for doing something harder, grander, greater.

She had shown him none of it but that her greatest wish in that moment was to see him whole and happy unburdened by his curse. She had hardly starred in her own vision except perhaps as an afterthought. That she might someday bear witness to a Gale of the future. A future she thinks he is owed. He is dumbstruck by it. He doesn’t think the image will ever not be emblazoned across his mind.

“Thank you for showing me your magic, Gale,” she says, looking off to the side to avoid his gaze. “It was…quite something.”

“Yes,” he murmurs, staring at her in profile and wondering if experiencing the Weave for the first time could hold a candle to being seen so purely by another. “Quite something,”

She flashes him a smile and he sees the walls going up again but he can’t do anything but watch as she turns and walks away.

more asks here fam 👁️🫦👁️

[poetpony6890]

For 400 hits on as the weeks pass by! (It’s actually like 402 now but you get the point) (I was late i know)

I would like to thank each and every one of my amazing, awesome and wonderful mutals. Thank you so much. Another thanks to everyone who’s read as the weeks pass by!

Finally, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has kudos it! I love you all so much and you keep me wanting to write even more, which is one of my favourite things.

I have not started the 5th chapter yet so send in suggestions of what you’d like to see! I have a vague outline of what logically needs to happen for the story going but either than that go crazy!

Last things last, it won’t be out for a long while. I am going to work on the long awaited Kit Fic tomorrow but it’s gonna be a lot longer considering that it’s broken up into four parts spanning from the ages of 7-18.

Please bear with me kitty fans!! I’m so sorry I know I keep saying that but it’s gonna be good trust.